Swedish composer Oscar Fogelström announces the digital release of his short film score for Killing Small Animals (2020). Directed by Marcus Svanberg, the film follows a privileged housewife who descends into psychological darkness with an action she never thought possible of herself. The film has won 18 awards and been nominated for a further 9. It won at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Nightmares Film Festival, and Liverpool International Film Festival. As the short has no dialogue, the music is particularly important...

The title track 'Killing Small Animals' introduces us to strings and piano. It’s a calming piece, with cello added latterly. 'Breakfast by the Lake' is more of the same, with a climbing of the scale and a single hint that all is not well. 'Processing Hamsters' is another low-key track with noises conducive with an off-kilter experience. 'Lonely and Puzzled' is the first segment of music to possess an underlying thriller content, mostly through the means of piano and surrounding sounds. 'The Cat Lady' has a plucking of strings which create a metronome motion of passing time. This becomes eerie and, in places, approaches chilling. A good one. 'Trapped Inside Yourself' utilises a ringing and cello to return the music back to its origins of the opening track. 'Beginning or End' completes this short collection with a hint of the main theme.

Although this offering is more expressive than Fogelström’s other short score Bad Dreams, I remain of the opinion that it is insufficient opportunity to immerse yourself in a new audio environment. Here there are seven tracks amounting to a total of around ten minutes. It’s plain when listening to these individual pieces that they are essentially one piece of music. So, why not edit them together into one evolving suite? I’m intrigued by the prospect of viewing the film, and I’m certain this mini score will fit far more comfortably than it does individually.

5

Ty Power